Sunday, January 31, 2010

Pogo is an emerging electronic music artist in Perth, Western Australia. He is known for his work recording small sounds from a single film or scene and sequencing them to form a new piece of music.

His most notable track, Alice, a composition of sounds from the Disney film ‘Alice In Wonderland’, was received with much success gaining over 4 million views on YouTube as of December 2009. Pogo has since produced tracks utilizing sounds from films like ‘Mary Poppins’, ‘Harry Potter’, ‘The Sword In The Stone’, ‘Hook’, ‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory’, and ‘Up’.

Bought Tax software at Best Buy, and with it you get a free DVDup to $20. Saw Casino Royale and liked it, so follow-up is in order.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Birthday week for me coincides with NYC Winter Restaurant week. Went to Smith and Wollensky today. The Surf and Turf was as good as ever.

Was there with three friends last night. I had mentioned Restaurant Week at work and then the next thing, it had to be done. It was great. The waiter gives us the regular menu, talks up an $89 special Cabernet and completely ignores the existence of Restaurant Week even with our obvious reaction to the Wine List. Finally, I ask for the Restaurant Week menu and magically,the special Wine List with $40 bottles appears. Hilarious. Wound up knocking down three bottles.

New book, a re-gift from my brother. Here's reviewsfrom Slate and NYT.

I rooted for them even though I'm a Giants fan.One thing I'm glad about is: I don't have to hearthat J E T S Jets - Jets - Jets Cheer for a while.

Real good read. His stage work was impressive.Turned down Maggio in From Here to Eternityto do a Tennessee Williams role. Also, played in Rhinoceroswith Zero Mostel.

The Bing Crosby book is full of good stuff like:

"The mordent—a fast wavering from one note to another and back, a fleeting undulation that suggests a mournful cry—was a vestige of the Byzantine influence that dominated European music in the Middle Ages. That influence vanished from most of Europe but endured in the plaintive folk music of Scotland and Ireland, owing to their economic and geographical isolation from the modernizing impact of the Reformation and Renaissance. A 1950s edition of Chambers's Encyclopaedia defines the mordent as a "certain oscillation or catch in the voice as it comes to rest momentarily upon a sustained sound" and goes on to qualify it as a basic attribute of "crooning." Among young Celtic singers of the twenty-first century, the mordent-heavy approach is known as sean nós, or old style, but it was new to Americans in the 1920s, when Dennis Harrigan's great-grandson pinned the mordent to popular music like a red rose."

Saturday, January 23, 2010

I still have to get Barry Ritholtz' Bailout Nation.His Big Picture Blog is required daily reading.I prefer this cover. His site compared covers with the following:

Library run resulted in two more books inthe queue. The recent near- collapse of the US economyis something we all need to educate ourselves about.

Also saw this, cites a great quote about R.E. Lee at Appomattox from U.S Grant's memoir: "I felt like anything rather than rejoicing at the downfall of a foe who had fought so long and valiantly, and had suffered so much for a cause, though that cause was, I believe, one of the worst for which a people ever fought, and one for which there was the least excuse."

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

As predicted, Davros is history. Wild show last night.Fire-ax to chest, wrist cut with saw and we are just gettingstarted. Also, an incredible beat-down of Jack Bauer by a P.O.played by Domenick Lombardozzi,who was previously inThe Wire as Det. Thomas 'Herc' Hauk.

The NYT in late December had an article aboutAcademic Studies of The Dude. Since I never saw it, and Ilike Bridges ,Goodman and Coen Brothers fims, I decidedto give it a try.

Received this as a Birthday present, the 3 disc collectionincludes the two other Falcon films: Satan Met A Lady withBette Davis and the 1931 Maltese Falcon starring RicardoCortez as Sam Spade and Bebe Daniels as Ruth Wonderly.

Currently on TWC Free Movies on Demand fromTurner Classic Movies. A John Sturges classic.Only today learned that the screenplay was co-writtenby James Clavell who was himself a prisoner of war inChangi prison in Singapore.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Man, 24 Season 8 got off to a great start.Anil Kapoor of Slumdog Millionaire isterrific. Also, liked the new villain Davros played byDoug Hutchinson, based on past experience, I don't thinkDavros will make it to the end. Mykelti Williamson(Bubba - Forest Gump) ,who plays the new head of CTU,is good at playing schemers.

Time for BBQ and Beer. I prefer Shiner Bock, but theywon't license to sell in New York. Hill Country Barbecue Market has about the best brisket I have ever eaten.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Picked this one up. Author Interview.You got to love a book with lines like thisone: "Artie was five-eight and slim but he hadballs the size of a pregnant Mack Truck..."

Read about this one, it should be good.

On order from the Queens Library.They send you an e-mail when it is ready.

24 starts tonight. The only show I watch.NY is the setting but it was mostly filmedelsewhere.

Lots of football. Games have been unwatchable.My team The Giants aren't in it, but Chili Dogs areon the menu. I have , in the past, bought ready madeChili but I wasn't impressed. Also, the sodium levelswere astronomical. Here's a quick recipe: